1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the construction of valves and in particular to a new and useful multitube valve for medical, chemical or similar devices equipped with flexible tubes particularly for infusion or transfusion apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the medical and chemical fields multiflow valves are known which are designed as plug valves. Such valves are used for example in connection with catheters which are to be introduced into a patient and which serve to selectively connect different devices such as a dropping chamber, a blood pressure connection and similar devices to the patient. A multiway valve may for example be connected to a blood removing apparatus so that the catheter is used not only for measuring the blood pressure and introducing solutions into the blood stream but also for drawing blood. Multiway valves are also needed for other purposes in the medical field for example in chemical or physical laboratories for handling the fluid substances. Such multipassage valves may be made of various materials such as metals, plastics, etc. For example a known multiway valve is designed as a plug valve having a housing of a plastic such as a polypropylene and a plug which is made of a rubber suitable for blood. With the known multiway valves in the form of plug valves, cocks or similar devices there is a risk of damaging the blood components since depending on its position the movable body of the valve projects into the cross section of the flow passages. Thus the baffle surfaces are formed and the flow through the conduits is not smooth. This may lead for example to a damage of the blood components. A further risk is that a possible leakage of such a multiway valve may take place when the plug is displaced. The sterilization must be carefully carried out particularly if such a multiway valve has to be used repeatedly. The manufacture of such valves requires a relatively great precision of the assembled component parts since they are relatively complicated. During handling, care is to be taken to keep the individual component parts movable relative to each other. Unsatisfactory tightness and leakage in medical devices is dangerous because of the possible contamination or embolism which may be associated therewith.